We do it all the time but it is not bidding as in an auction. I think you would have to get an awfully big deal together to get anybody interested in that. Our bids are let out more on the order that a school or government bid process might be done. I've served on different boards where we did that for all major purchases.

I guess we don't really tell them they are bidding against someone else but they surely have figured it out. Then we pick the best value - not always the very cheapest but usually is as most of the local dealers give good service. We try to get a package bundle big enough together it makes it worth the time of the manager to price it. Usually a list of several things we need and the volumes we will purchase. We don't "Jew" on them or ask them to "match" anybodys price. They know we expect their best price the first time around. If at the end of the year their sales volume to us was not nearly as big as last year they know they weren't competetive. If prices seem way out of line from what we can do on the internet then we will occasionally buy from internet or long distance but only if there is substancial price discrepency. We try to buy locally as much as possible.

We do the same on pickups. Send bid specs to comercial department of several dealerships. In a big dealership there is usually one special person that handles all the comercial and fleet sales. They don't hassle you like the car salesmen - they are used to dealing with businessmen instead of consumers. There is almost nothing I hate worse than to deal with a car salesman that has no authority to do anything and can't under stand that not everyone wants to find out how much payment is afordable then sell the vehicle that meets the payment limitaiton. Cash is just completely beyond their comprehension (may have to ask the manager if they actually can DO such a strange deal). Well, come to think of it, I hate weddings worse.

John